Burn it to the Ground

Authors Notes: Finally, an update! I'm having a bit of a block with my character development as of recent, but I promise there is much more brian storming ahead. Thanks for waiting you guys and bearing with me on Burn It to the Ground and The Taste of Pain. I love all the feedback.

Chapter Four: Best Friends Make the World Go Round



Hermione stared down blankly at her black mary janes that were beginning to catch a drizzle from the rain that was starting to pelt the Weasley's back yard. She dared not look up at tombstone where Ron had been laid that morning, a symbol of her best friends demise. Everyone else had retired back to the Weasley house after Ron's body had been put to rest, the weather agreeing with everyones somber mood.

Hermione closed her eyes to savor the cold mist that was coming from the open sky and weeping upon her. She felt as if she had lost a leg, or another limb that had been a part of her for as long as she could remember. Her thoughts wandered as she tried to touch the pain within herself at the loss she felt.

Quiet footsteps softly padded behind her, but she didn't notice as she let herself become lost in her own thoughts. A soft hand touched her shoulder lightly and she resisted the urge to jump, she could recognize that touch anywhere.

Harry looked down at his best friend with dark expression. In a way he had no idea how to comfort her when he could barely console himself. They always communicated silently, and he hoped that would be enough for her for at this moment in time.


To his surprise Hermione raised her head up to look at him through her wet lashes, and he couldn't tear himself away from her completely pained expression.


There was something in Harry that snapped in that moment. The slow realization that crept into his veins that something might be wrong with Hermione that he didn't know about. The emotions that flashed through her eyes was enough to make his heart stop momentarily, the pain in her eyes expressed more experience than anyone should know.

Most of Harry was mourning the loss of his best friend, but as he looked down at the small girl he had known since childhood, he started to realize that he barely knew the woman that stood in front of him now. The only thing they had been able to focus on was the war at hand, and the ways they could stop it. Instinctively he reached to cup the side of her wet cheek and that was all it took for Hermione to throw her arms around his neck. He gripped her like a lifeline, as if she might disappear right before him. The pitter patter of the rain covered what little noise came from Hermione, muffling her silent sobs.

Hermione let her weight go quite suddenly, her knees giving way to the anguish she felt in her broken heart. At first Harry held her to him tightly, trying to keep her weight steady. The wet ground became mush under his feet and he also let himself succumb to the heavy burden on his shoulders and slummed down into the ground with her.

Both friends fell to their knees, the squelching ground complaining from their hard fall.


“Harry...” her voice was barely a whisper over the rain, but their was a desperation in it that he couldn't quite place. He raised his head slowly and looked down at her. Harry lowered his head to hers and brushed her wet lips in the lightest of kisses, if her eyes hadn't been open she would swear it was a dream.


He pulled back as quickly as he had moved towards her. “We'll get through this Hermione, we have to keep going, for Ron, for us.” his voice was horse with emotion.


“Don't drift away from me. I need you.” he said.


Hermione felt her heartstrings pull at his soft words. She tried to block out the images of despair that flashed through her mind. She couldn't stare into his eyes for any longer, it was tearing her apart. It was hard to keep her guard up around Harry, to pretend like she was going to make it through all of this.
She pulled herself to her feet slowly, trying to bring some of Harry's weight with her.


“Come on, let's get inside before we both catch a cold.” she said. She pulled herself from Harry's grasp as they both moved on shaky feet back to the Borrow. Every step that they took felt like saying goodbye to their friend all over again.

“Hold on Hermione, for Ron, for Harry...” she thought as Harry's hand closed around her own and squeezed tightly.

Both of them dared not look back.


Draco Malfoy to put it lightly, was pissed. He sat on a lone chair facing the window in one of the Weasley's guest rooms with a scowl set on his tight face. Not only had he been forced out of headquarters to be babysat by these arses, he was also stuck in the Weasley's house for the third member of the Trio's funeral.

This was something he did not feel comfortable being a part of, he did not feel loss, or feel anything less than loathing for Ron Weasley. Despite his dislike for the youngest male of the ginger clan, he felt the need to respect his friends and families mourning by steering clear of the event entirely. Snape's whereabouts were still unknown, leaving Draco once again, to his own defenses.


He could hear the bustle of people downstairs, Mrs. Weasley's sniffles and sobs could be heard over the soft chatter and clanking of dishes. He dared not venture down there though, Merlin forbid if anyone tried to talk to him whilst he was sulking. He let his eyes drift over to the large bay window that the old armchair was place in front of.


The large yard seemed to sink into the fog as the soft pelting of rain hit the roof and the sides of the window. Just as he was about to turn his head away from the window something caught his eye from the far corner of the tall grass.


Hermione stood near the small tombstone that flanked the tall grass reeds that surrounded the property.
He spotted Harry about three meters away from her out of her vision. Her posture was rigid until Potter made his approach and laid his hand on the small girls shoulder. She visibly relax at his touch and after both of them stood there for a while Hermione turned towards him and threw her arms around his neck.


Draco couldn't contain his curiosity as he openly stared and remaining two of the golden trio. He had always observed them in school, mind you he had always watched from a far and with distain being with his fellow peers. But here, alone in a house and a room of a former enemy, he could watch them openly without judgement. He cocked his head to the side and watched with a blank expression as both figures slid to the ground together.


Draco felt a pang of jealousy at the closeness both of them exuded. He would never know the touch or comfort of another human being with his mother gone, never like them. Slowly the darkness of his memories began to consume his curious gaze as he watched Harry lean into Hermione and place a kiss to her lips.

No, not Granger and Potter.


He had always known that bookworm had a soft spot for him over Ron, but it always seemed fairly platonic. Either way, he couldn't help but be surprised at the other wave of jealously that passed through him.


This time it wasn't focused on their friendship that he coveted, but the kiss Potter had planted on her.


He tore his gaze away when both figures moved from the ground and began to approach the Burrow.
Draco wasn't about to get caught staring at the two from the third story window. Soon his eyes were drawn back outside for the lack of things to look at around the small, barely furnished room. Draco found his eyes locked with empty cinnamon brown ones.

Hermione stopped right before the foyer and pulled her hand from Harry's grasp. She knew she wasn't ready to face the everyone grieving inside just yet. Harry turned around and cast her a curious look.
“Go ahead, I need a bit of time to walk around and think. Do you mind telling everyone I'll be inside in a bit?” she said.


He considered her words and gave her a soft smile. “Sure thing, don't stay out here too long.” he added.


With that he turned on his heel and swept in through the front door. Hermione looked around the property trying to distinguish where a good place to smoke without being seen would be. All of the sudden her search ceased and she froze in place.

She could almost feel someone looking at her from one of the upstairs windows as she turned to look up to one of the upstairs bay windows and felt a cold chill run through her spine when she watched Malfoy slowly turn his face and look down at her. The memories of their conversation late into the night at headquarters played through her head as she gazed into those cold mercury eyes.


“He knows everything” she thought. Fear ran through the blood in her viens.


Before Hermione could lose herself in her head she turned her eyes away from him and walked cautiously to the porch and opened the door with a slight creek. As much as she wanted time to herself right now, she didn't want to spend it with Malfoy staring at her.


Once everything had settled inside everyone began filtering out back to headquarters or their place of residence. The food and grief had been shared, and now the Weasley's needed to be left alone to mourn there youngest son.


Hermione was second through the floo back to Grimmwald place. Her intense need to get back to the safety of her room overwhelmed her entire being. She stepped through the dark fireplace at headquarters in a daze as tears started to run down her face. Her feet took her quickly up the stairs, ignoring the few voices calling her name from the large living room.


Hermione opened her door swiftly and slammed it shut. She closed her eyes and silently prayed that Harry wouldn't follow her after her abrupt exit. After a few seconds of silence she crossed the carpet to the small window near her four poster bed. She dug around in her pockets and pulled out a soft pack of cigarettes. She lit one and blew the smoke out through the widow that offered little light on such a dark day.


The cigarette in her fingers barely touched her lips for the second time before the was a soft knock and the door.


“Shit” she whispered.


Her panic causing her to throw the barely used smoke out of the cracked panel of the window.
“Harry, I don't feel like talking right now, I'll come down in just a..” before she could finish her sentence she heard a dark chuckle from the other side of the door that was definitely not Harry, her eyes widened in shock.

“Don't worry Granger, it's not Potter.” he mumbled darkly.



Authors Notes: Oh my, oh my. I bet you all are wondering what's going to happen between Harry and Hermione. Where will more private conversations lead with our infamous Draco?